


Lead

by vbnorsr



Category: One Piece
Genre: Eustass is understanding, Law has PTSD, M/M, eustass isnt as much of an asshole as law assumes, i mean he is but you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vbnorsr/pseuds/vbnorsr
Summary: During one of their typical arguments, Eustass takes a step too far and faces the consequences.Law ends up learning that Eustass isn't as much of an asshole as he thought.///EDIT 1.29.2018:sweET LOVE OF CHRIST THIS IS OLD. this is old, really old. i don't want to take this down for posterity's sake, but if you want to read something by me that's actually good, i have a lot of other kidlaw posted. if you still want to read this in the year of our lord 2018, please please please take it with a grain of salt. i have improved a lot since i wrote this, i swear





	Lead

**Author's Note:**

> You'll probably have needed to watch the Law backstory episodes in the Dressrosa arc to... Understand this? At all?  
> The ending is rushed, sorry OTL
> 
>  **EDIT 1.29.2018:** sweET LOVE OF CHRIST THIS IS OLD. this is old, really old. i don't want to take this down for posterity's sake, but if you want to read something by me that's actually good, i have a lot of other kidlaw posted. if you still want to read this in the year of our lord 2018, please please please take it with a grain of salt. i have improved a lot since i wrote this, i swear

Fighting. As usual.  
Anyone who spent time around the two Supernovas during their together-time at the archipelago would be well aware by now that a good chunk of Law and Eustass’ relationship was insulting eachother and arm wrestling.

The two men had thick skin, obviously, and there wasn’t much actual hatred between the two under a thin film of frustration with the other’s attitude. Eustass “hated” Law because he was too calm, and Law “hated” Eustass because he got riled up too easily. Neither would change, and -- at some level -- both of them knew this. At another level, both of them were painfully infatuated with the other.

It’s one day not unlike any other, passing time at Sabaody at a bar of some sort, that Law and Eustass are arguing again. They’re sitting at the bar, both with a drink long forgotten -- Eustass’ mug of beer finished rather early on, sitting empty on the rough wood of the countertop, and Law’s glass of wine still mostly full with only a few sips taken from it.  
It’s far too early for most sensible people to go out for a drink -- barely noon -- and the only other people there are a bartender in the back room and a heavily sleeping man in a booth near the back. Law and Eustass, however, aren’t most people.

“And that’s why I’m saying,” Eustass is gripping his hand around the empty glass of his mug, “Kuma would’a kicked your ass back five islands if you took him on alone. That shit? That was mostly me. No, that was my fight. That was me.”

Law chuckles softly, swishing around the wine still in his glass, but making no move to continue drinking it as he watches the liquid turn in a circle. “I don’t seem to remember you doing much of importance regarding that fight.”

The redhead growls in annoyance. “All you did was dodge lasers!”  
“I also dealt the finishing blow,” Law reminds him, “And--”  
Eustass grabs him by his shirt collar, pulling the man close to his face and baring his teeth. The unaffected, lazy grin he gets in return is even more frustrating than his response, but after a beat he still lets him go and turns back around in his seat.

The argument continues on in the same familiar pattern as it always does, until rather suddenly a breaking point is reached. Eustass has nothing, and the frustration over both that and Law's refusal to admit that he's right or act like this is something he cares about even just a little bit reaches its peak. The words that come out of his mouth are nothing more than insults, strung together by his temper and foul vocabulary.

At first, it’s something Law can handle -- after all, Eustass has done this before. Actually, he does it pretty much every time they bicker. But after a point, Eustass says something that makes his eyes go wide and his comebacks falter.  
“Just go eat fucking lead, asshole, you--”  
“Excuse me?”

Kid blinks as he’s interrupted, face momentarily blank before it twists back up into an angry scowl. Looks like the impassive bastard’s finally affected by something, though among some of his more serious insults he hadn’t really expected that to be the one. So he repeats himself.  
“You heard me. Eat lead and die.”

Law is silent for a few more moments. His eyes are wide, and… Distant. In a different way than usual. He’s not detached, he’s not calm. He looks distressed. Kidd’s next statement, after a pause, is tinged with an awkward sort of worry. “Trafalgar, you’re freaking me ou--”  
Law starts crying.

At first it’s not noticeable, wetness welling up in his eyes, his face still blank. Then a tear rolls down his cheek, another. And -- needless to say -- Eustass is pretty fucking alarmed. Comfort is not on his long list of talents, and he completely did not expect this to happen. When a shaky sob makes its way out of Law’s chest, he hits some kind of instinctual breaking point and wraps the other man in his arms. Surprisingly, Law only clings to his shirt, making no move to break his grip.

After a while, Eustass speaks up, voice uncharacteristically gentle. “What was that about? You’ve never…”  
Law leans back, finally, wiping at his eyes. The smile is back, but it’s weaker, and forced. “Your last comment put me in a bad place. That’s all.”

...Fuck.  
“I… Trafalgar, I’m sorry.”  
To Kidd’s suprise, Law only laughs at his apology, putting his hand back on his lap and not meeting the redhead’s eyes. “What was that about, Eustass? You’ve never apologized before.”

“Obviously, I…” Kidd struggles to find the words. He’s absolutely terrible at admitting he’s wrong, but somewhere deep he likes to ignore, he cares about this asshole. “I have a shit past too. I went too far. And I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t know.” Law turns back around in his seat, staring into his wine. Eustass expects him to continue, but he doesn’t.  
“Yeah, I didn’t. But…” Eustass runs a hand back through his hair, exhaling heavily through his nose as he leans over onto the bar. “I made you cry. Doesn’t sit right.”  
Law chuckles again. “I have to admit, Eustass, you don’t strike me as the type to apologize for making someone cry.”  
“You don’t strike me as the type to cry,” Kidd responds, “Fuckin’ scary to see you do that. Asshole.”

Law turns to Eustass again, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “And what if I cried every time you called me an asshole?”  
The response is instant. “Then I wouldn’t call you one.”

That… Wasn’t the answer Law was anticipating.  
Today is a day of many revelations.


End file.
